With the support of Emater, artisanal chocolate is a sustainable option for Easter

In the kitchen of pastry chef Shirley Macedo, 47 years old, Easter has the flavor of the Amazon: “spoon” eggs can be filled with cupuaçu candy or Brazil nut paste, depending on the customer’s taste.

Preparing orders moves the house in the Novo Horizonte neighborhood, in Marituba, in the metropolitan region of the capital. In their free time, their teenage children, Kaíke, aged 17, and Henrique, aged 14, help with one or another culinary task.

Supported since 2022 by a solidarity economy network project from the regional office of the Islands of the Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company of the State of Pará (Emater), the sale of artisanal chocolate by the family takes place throughout the year, but becomes special on special dates celebrations, such as Holy Week.

“Because a product like ours doesn’t just deliver a taste, but also a story. It is the story of the people, of tradition, of entrepreneurship. Furthermore, we cook with creativity”, says the owner of the brand “Shirley Macedo Pães e Bolos” (instagram @shirleymacedo_paesebolos). The divorced mother and food technology student’s main source of income, the products are usually available at fairs and events promoted by Emater.

Project

In Belém and neighboring municipalities, such as Ananindeua and Benevides, Emater’s service encourages small alternative food businesses to structure themselves and expand their market. The focus is agroecological development and full use of fruits, vegetables and grains.

Emater highlights that artisanal chocolate, for example, is a sustainable gift and consumption option for Easter.

The state technical assistance body also informs that one of the main channels for promoting rural products is the Family Farming Itinerant Fair, installed periodically in different locations. By purchasing directly from the producer, the consumer can enjoy prices up to 30% cheaper.

For sociologist Delmaria Albuquerque, from Emater’s local office in Belém, the opportunity enshrines the effectiveness of public policies: “When a product like this reaches the hands of the final consumer, the process represents a whole prioritization of many other hands: the government, the families served, the dialogue we built and the technical and social results”, he summarizes.

Cocoa and chocolate from Pará

Chocolate production is one of the ends of the cocoa production chain, and Emater has a significant presence in the Transamazônica segment. In the region alone, state extension agents support 4,500 producing and processing families.

Throughout Pará, there are over 1,600 families, with emphasis, for example, on municipalities such as Tucumã, Santarém and Rurópolis.

Text by Aline Dantas de Miranda